Airway traffic control system



E. 1 SCHMIDT 2,443,199

AIRWAY TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM 14 sheets-sheet 1 T0 FIG. 2

June 15, 1948.

Filed oct. 4, 1945 t ...di 9... n v

INVENTOR. EDWIN L. SCHMIDT ATTORNEY.

June 15, 1948. E, L, SCHMlDT 2,443,199

AIRWAY TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Oct. 4, 1945 14'Sheets-Shee-t .2

INVENTOR.

EDWIN L. SCHMIDT ATTORNEY.

`lune 15A, 194g. l; L SCHMlDT l2,443,199

AIRWAY TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM EDWIN L. SCHMIDT v ATTORNEY.

June 15, 1948.-

Filed Oct. 4, 19454 RETRANsMlssloN EQUIPMENT E. L. SCHMIDT AIRWAY TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM 14 Sheets-Sheet 4 ELPSD. TIME UNITS TRANSLATING RELAYS EUT-I T0 EUT4 ELPSD. TIME TENS TRANSLATING RELAYS ETT-I TO ETT-4 EST. TIME UNITS TRANSLATING RELAYS TUT-'l T0 TUT-4 Illlllw IILIIIss' FIG. 4

T0 FIG. 3

`FIG. 4

FIG 8 FIG.I2

To ne. s

FIG. 3

FIG.7

FIG Il FIG. lo

FIG. I3

FIG.|

FIG 5 FIG.9

INVENTOR.

EDWIN L. SCHMIDT WIG/.W

ATTORNEY.

June 15, 1948. E L SCHMIDT l 2,443,199

AIRWAY TRAFFIC CONTROL SYS-TEM Filed Oct. 4, 1945 14 ShetS-Sheet 5 TELEPRINTER DISTRIBUTOR T0 FIG. I

INVENTOR.

EDWIN L. SCHMIDT ATTORNEY.

June 15, 1948. E. L.. SCHMIDT AIRWAY TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM Filed 051. 4, 1945 P0` 4. RT

.E Om m mM m QW VC T June 15, 1948. E. L. SCHMIDT AIRWAY TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM 14 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed Oct. 4, 1945 INVENTOR.

EDWIN L. SCHMIDT i l l l i i l l llwo|ml| n .wi o.

ATTORNEY.

June 15, 1948. E. L. SCHMIDT AIRWAY TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM 14 lsheets-sheet 8 Filed 001'.. 4, 1945 INVENTOR. EDWIN l.. SCHMIDT ATTORNEY.

AIRwAY TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM 14 Sheets-Sheet 9 ,Filed Oct. 4, 1945 INVENTOR.

EDWIN L. SCHMIDT ATTORNEY.

IlJune 15, 19148.Y I-:.I... scI-IMIDT 2,443,199

AIRWAY TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM Filed oct. 4, 1945 14 sheets-sheet 1o T0 FIG. Il

DATA uNITs DEcoDING RELAYs Du-I 'ro Du5 INVENTOR.

EDWIN L. SCHMIDT BY MF FIG. I0

ATTORNEY.

E. L. SCHMIDT AIRWAY TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM June 15, 1948.

14 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed 061'.. 4, 1945 INVENTOR. EDWIN L. SCHMIDT ATTORNEY.

June 15, 1948. E. i.. SCHMIDT I 2,443,199

AIRWAY TRAFFIC CONTROL ssTEM Filed Oct. 4, 1945 14 Sheets-Sheet 12 m IL INVENTOR.

EDWIN l... SCHMIDT FlG. I2

June 15 1948. E. L. SCHMIDT AIRWAY TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM 14 Sheets-Sheet 13 am @n WQ@ E@ @El N E M E M E E E E .E E E E N m E, E E E DE E E .E E E E@ @mmmmmmmmmmmq gamz XE m E Dv M Q E E Q D E E m m E E E E E E E E E D M E w N E E E M E E E E E E E E N Filed Oct. 4, 1945 @mgm wmmmoon. IGEL INVENTOR.

EDWlN L. SCHMIDT ATTORNEY.

Jung 15, 1948. E L, SCHMIDT 2,443,199

AIRWAY TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM Filed oct. 4, 41945 14 sheets-sheet 14 RANGE PRINTER coDE DIGIT sgc DIGIT pdrfTc-E I 2 3 4 5 I 2 3 4 I 2 4 7 x x x o x o x x x OVER x x x x I x I x oUT- BOUND x x x 2 x 2 x IN- BOUND x 5 x x 3 x x ALTITUDE x x 4 x x -4 x TIME x 5 x 5 x x wIPE-oUT x x x e x x 6 x x x x x T x x 7 x x x s x `x s x x x x 9 x x e x x- REPEAT x x FLIGHT PLAN x x x it MESSAGE x x END MSG. I x x x SPACE x x x FIG. l5

INVENToR.

EDWIN L. SCHMIDT ATTORNEY.

both

.Patented June 15, 1948 UNITED STATES yPATENT OFFICE AIRWAY TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM Edwin L. Schmidt, Kew Gardens, N. Y., assignor to The Teleregister Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 4, 1945, Serial No. 620,290

19 claims. 1

This invention relates generally to airway tranic communication and posting systems for transmitting and posting information or data in regard to a number of different aircraft, which information may be posted either by telegraph printers or by means of groups or rows of indicators which are automatically and selectively actuatable or settable in response to incoming signals to display information or current changes in information in regard to they aircraft, and is particularly applicable, although not limited, to a system for the transmission, recordation and posting of data, on announcement or bulletin boards, relating to air trafiic control information, in which the signals representing the information thus posted may be transmitted either from a local transmitter or from wire or radio transmitters remotely situated with respect to the receiving, posting and recording apparatus, which remote transmitters may be located at ground stations or within aircraft in flight. The system disclosed herein represents in various respects an improvement over the communication and posting systems disclosed in the Marshall et al. Patent, No. 2,246,449, issued June 17, 1941, and in the copending applications of May et al., Serial No. 518,370, filed January 15, 1944, now

'U. S. Patent 2,386,743, granted October 9, 1945,

Marshall et al., Serial No. 552,428, nled September 2, 1944, now U. S. Patent 2,391,469 granted December 25, 1945, and Schmidt, Serial No. 576,398, filed February 6, 1945, the disclosures of which, insofar as they are pertinent to the present invention, are incorporated herein by reference.

In systems for recording and .posting night plans and flight progress reports of aircraft and other messages relative to the control of aircraft, hereinafter referred to as air trainc control systems, the information thus posted by a printer or on a bulletin or announcing boardr usually relates to numerous nights, and when displayed by means of indicators n a night progress board the items usually are arranged in groups according to the various marker or nx classincations, as explained in the aforesaid Marshall et al. patent, and preferably are arranged within each nx group in accordance with the expected or estimated time of passage or arrival of the aircraft at the various recording or marker points en route and at the airport.

'I'he information posted may comprise numer ous data, such as the night designation symbols followed by a section number, if any; information as to the direction of the various nights in-bound and out-bound; f the airway traino controllers estimated time when the aircraft will pass over or land at certain marker points on the flight route; the time the aircraft actually passes over or lands at each nx, or marker point; proposed altitudes at. which a clearance has been issued to cross each nx or night path; the altitude and time at which the aircraft actually crosses the lvarious nxes. In addition to the foregoing, other information may be Yposted either by a printer or on a night progress'displayboard, such for example as an indication that a clearance through a nx or control zone has been issued; an indication of a night over the airport; an indication of a stop en route, and kthe expected approach time; and an indication that an aircraft has beenV cleared to the airport control tower or range station sothat there will be no unnecessary delay in landing.

In airway trafc control the country is divided into different geographical control areas, al1 nights within each of said areas being controlled by a flight control center individual to that area. For example, assume a night which is scheduled to leave New York for Washington; the New York control area will extend a consider-able distance around New York, and 'with respect the night referred to would extend to Philadelphia which is the southern limit of the New York control area, Philadelphia thus providing a boundary nx for the New York area. Another control area also extends a considerable distance around Washington, and in the direction of New York will extendto Philadelphia, so that the Philadelphia nx will represent the fringe nx for the Washington control area in the case of a yllight from New York to Washington. If the night were in the opposite direction, i. e., from Washington to New York, Philadelphia would be the boundary nx of the Washington control area and the fringe nx for the New York control area. It Will also be understood that there are other intervening fixes located along the night route from New York to Washington, for example, `at Newark and Baltimore. The system and apparatus disclosed herein are primarily for the purpose of facilitating proper con- `trol of nights by the posting of control data on electro-responsive storage devices and indicators, various of which operations are performed automatically.

Prior to the initiation of a night, a night plan is devised which tentatively establishes the time at which the night is to leave New York, its altitude betweenvarious nx points en route, and the :night identifying number. The portion of this 3 night plan which relates to the night while within the New York control area is transmitted to and posted on indicators in a night information board at the New York control center. The portion of the night plan which is within the Washington control area would be transmitted and postedonindicators in a night information board located at f the Washington control center. l In order to limity the message transmission time it is desirable that data in regard to intervening fixes, such as Newark in the New York control area, be inserted automatically by the...flig'ht. posting portant in estimating the time that a similar aircraft will require to ny over the same portion of f New `York board correspondin'glto the nx over which the report was made;"con`curr'ent1y therewith the flight information data in the preceding nx section is automatically deleted, thereby resulting in a saving of night progress board equipment at the New York control center. This can only be accomplished.v in lthe `event. that' the altitude data for the intervening fix' or..nxes.isf

the same as the altitude data for the reference nxes. The term referenceiswemployed-,to signify the nxes which are incorporated in l.the message transmission, such as New' York and Philadelphia in the instant example. The night plan expander isv designedA to accomplish this feature. and' will automatically. insert `in the' Newark x section of the New' York'board,y the night identification numberv and the altitudev at which the plane is to ny over the Newark' area.

In-bound and out-bound direction 'datas in regard to the night `are stored' and displayed at allthe nxsections of theNew York board to I which the night is pertinent so that when an over report is received with respect to `a `particular nx (meaning a reportz from the vplane when over that nx) the preceding nx over which the night previously passed may be automatically determined and the posting for such vpreceding nx section on the New York control center board' automatically deleted;u In the case of a boundary nx the out-bound direction; if displayed, is. an

indication that the knight is passing from the New York control area and into an adjacentcontrol area, such as "the" Washingtonl area.' 'Anyfuture postings. on 'the Yboundarynx section will York board would not 'berretransmitted on to a Philadelphiav nx section fof' the .Washington board. I

A further feature is tosave Aconsiderable transmission time by the use of a Vrepe`a't1character when data, rfor example,"altitude, for a nx section is identical with such data for' thoprecedingnx. In this case, it is undesirable to have to repeat such informationin messages' that are transmitted to the Various nx sections of' the NewYork board, and therefore the system is so adapted `that abbreviated messages may be transmitted in 'which al single repeat character l contained in the message'will cause' the'samel altitude .or other dataalready'posted in. thevNew"York nx section. of theboard to be similarly posted in the other nx sections of thefNewYork ,board which are within the'New York control/area for the night in question.

It is also desirable to.automaticallycalculate .and post' the elapsed time -requiredfortthe vflight between two nxpoints thereby..to. .avoidthe necessity of having personnelmakesuch calculations. Elapsed time between two Vfixes is'im'- posting space and electing clarincation of the H.posted vdata since the data posted in the preceding nx sectionis no longer of importance in connection With'the night in question.

. .One o'f the .objects of the invention is a night plan. expander system which automatically initiates and inserts postings at an air traffic control center, of night control data, for example, the night identincation and proposed altitude for intervening nxes along an airway, when the limiting nxesr accompanied by a'predeterv mined signal, such as a-night plan'symbol, are

f samerange on the preceding nx posting 0f=the The range indentines the particular kind ofv data that is posted or istobe posted, for example, time, altitude or otherdata. Incoming messages yto the lnight-'progress board contain range code signals `to -identifytheparticular kind of data that follows-so that itwill l be entered in the proper group of storagedevices or indicators. This vfeature is especially'useful during the transmission ofnight'pla'ns when the tobe postedior aplurality of nx points fortli'e night route, and eliminates the'nece'ssity for the sending operator to repeat f identical, successive altitudes in such cases andr substantiallyconserves transmissiontime. n

Still'another object is an automatic"'elapsed time calculator and posting'apparatus""which automatically posts the' 'time in.` minutes` "con- `sumed by an aircraft'in passing from a particular nx to the succeedingnx'along aspecinc vairway. 'In airway trafic control'procedure`,' it is .customary for the control personnel'torefe'r to the reported "over times "of an'aircraftfat succe'eding fixes and make a .calculation fofl. the

` elapsed time between saidxnxes .as an'aidi'n. stimating the time a similarlaircraft lwill require to fly overv the samey portion vof/.the lairway. HThis .time isin directrelat-ion to `existing weather conpresent necessary, f when' anv foveri v.posting is made, to retain thefover. .time postingni-,Ithe

.previous nx section, inorder that the two-over times be lavailable' -forelapsed .time calculation. In .the present invention,..the automaticelapsed 4time ,calculatoris combined with an vautomatic .wipe-out-.feature to automatically calculataand post, the' elapsed time at a nx section wherey an "over report is received, at the same time that saving of flight progress board posting space, as

well as increased en'iciency due to the elimination of a time calculation by the control personnel.

An additional object is the automatic retransmission of night information to an adjacent control area, which is initiated by the combination of a posting in a nx section of the flight progress board which represents the nnal posting on said board and an out-bound direction posting, giving an indication that the night is to enter an adjacent airway traffic control area. The above mentioned last nx posting on a night progress board, the .so-called boundary fix, is also required, for control purposes, to be posted on the night progress board of the adjacent tranic control area "where it is known as the fringe nx. This posting at the fringe fix section of the board in the one area is accomplished by automatic retransmission of the data as posted at the boundary nx section of the board in the other area.

A further object is the provision for a special signal following a portion of a message, the reception of which special signal causes an automatic switching operation to transfer the incoming line signals from the night progress board posting equipment to a distributor and teleprinter. This feature enables other information to be appended to the regular :posting message for operation of a, printer located at the airway trafnc control center. In the event that the special signal precedes all other characters in a transmission, the entire message is reproduced on the teleprinter only, without affecting the night progress board. Such messages, either appended to a regular posting message, or transmitted as an entity, usually consist of weather reports, requests for a change in clearance, and the like.

These and various other objects, advantages and improvements of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of one illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a view in diagrammatic form of certain transmitting and receiving apparatus including a seeker mechanism and message counting storage indicators suitable for use in the system of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a portion of the announcing or display board containing storage display indicators with associated solenoid mechanisms and gang connect relays;

Fig. 3 illustrates the remainder of the display board of Fig. 2, and a portion of the groups of translating storage relays associated with the storage display indicators, as well as a group of comparison relays used in the automatic elapsed time calculator;

- Fig. 4 shows the remainder of the groups of translating storage relays partially shown in Fig. 3, the ngure also illustrating diagrammatically retransmission equipment associated therewith;

Fig. 5 illustrates reading relays controlled by signals received from the tape transmitter apparatus of Fig. 1, a receiving distributor under control of the reading relays, together with various control relays, and in diagrammatic form a distributor and receiving teleprinter used for the reception of messages which are not to be posted on the display board;

Fig. 6 shows a night locator rotary switch with associated control relays, and also the identification storage indicators and tap switches used in the night locator circuits;

Fig.I '7 shows the over range storage indicators, rotary switches and associated control relays used for the elapsed time calculator circuits;

Fig. 8 illustrates a pulse distributor with associated pulsing and control relays;

Fig. 9 shows the tens and units night identification decoding and storage relay groups and the tens data decoding and storage relay group;

Fig. 10` illustrates the units data, range, and nx decoding and storage relay groups, range connect relays, and nx relays;

Fig. 11 shows a portion of the secondary data storage relay groups, and rotary switches associated with the night plan expander circuits;

Fig. 12 shows the remainder of the secondary data storage relay groups in addition to certain automatic wipe-out and control relays;

Fig. 13 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the various sheets of drawings illustrating the system;

Fig. 14 illustrates an arrangement of the display board on which the night control information is posted; and

Fig. l5 shows various permutation signal codes suitable for use with the system.

For the sake of simplicity, the detailed description of a system embodying the invention has been limited to the transmission, reception, storing and posting of but a few ranges of data on but a few nx sections of a night progress display board; it is to be understood that in actual practice additional ranges of data, nx sections and the like are employed.

Detailed description of flight plan expander and automatic direction insertar circuits Assume that the night progress board depicted in Fig. 14 is located at the New York control center, and that a message is transmitted from teleprinter l, over line L, Fig. 1, which comprises a flight plan for a proposed flight of an aircraft from New York to Washington. It should be explained here that a flight plan is an advance notification from the pilot to the airway tranc control center containing information, such as the time and point of departure, the destination, and the proposed altitude at which the night is to cruise.' A night may pass through a plurality of control areas and receives its clearance from the airway traffic control center in each area for the flight within that area. These instructions are subject to revision at any time under influence of changed weather or traflic conditions. In the pre-sent example, the message transmission of the night plan may contain all of the nxes at which the night should be posted on the New York night progress board or, by utilizing the night plan expander feature, the message may include the flight plan symbol, the entry nx for the New York control area, and the boundary nx for the New York control area, and the night plan expander circuits will automatically function to post the intermediate nx sections of the New York night progress board. As explained heretofore, the boundary nx for the New York control area (Philadelphia), is also the fringe nx for the Washington control area and is, therefore, posted on the Philadelphia nx section of night progress boards in both New York and Washington. The night plan symbol and abbreviated night plan may be used only if the altitude data is to remain unchanged for the intermediate nx sections; if the altitude is to change rat' some intermediatexx, that'nxand-thechanged data must be inc1uded-as= part of-lthe'ftransmi-tted -v Assume/that themessage;under-oonsideration is a'igh-t plantfor--ight- 35,.-proposingftojleaVe New Yorkai-rportat 10:69, lto cruiseat (500G-feet. Assume further-that the operatoratteleprinter l has decided to :use `the `rabbreyiated-flight plan form ofmessagefsincethe cruising. altitude isfto remain unchanged withinftheJ-New-York.control area. The message?transmittedmaylftakev the l night-identication-numbers the third character 5 represents` AIthe J1-range I -time gf the fourth character 3 .-representswthe Vv-x New York; the

ii'thJ -andsixth` characters 09: represent v"the-time l data; theffseventh@character lerepresentsythe range altitudeftheeighthl character-C -frepresents aspacingcharactenpsed when thex is,

y a repetitionthefninth fand-tenth'characters 60 represent the data for the altitude range; -vthe eleventh character & representsthe illight plan symboll; fthewtwelfthf character L represents the fix Philadelphia; the thirteenth character $Yrepresentsthe repeat symbolused-Whenthe altitude data is to be `automatically*repeated fromi-the preceding x po-stingythe fourteenth character 2 represents the -rangeout-bound# direction ;A the fifteenth. characterk -A( )W represents a spacing character indicating repetitionv ofmtheA x; vthe sixteenth character .4 represents--the-outbound -data; and-the'seventeenthandfinal character L pulse followed by groups ofA permutations of ve intelligencev impulses Yin various' combinations representing the charactersto lbe transmitted or received, and each group vbeing tcrminatedby a rest impulse which isof opposite line condition to that of the start impulse.- 'The actuation of any of the keys or" the associated'keyboard causes the transmission of signals'representingfthe charac- 'ter assigned to each key. -1

.The operation of the ight identification key il of teleprinter I, causes a lstart-signal to bev applied-to the'line L'in'known manner, y.thereby starting operationwof `receiving distributor 4.

This signal is followed by a veuniticode 'permu-.-..

- tation signal for th'e first4 digitv (3)v of the ight identication number, this signal v'having the code enit I thereof.' markingand-thecode4 units 2,13,

#i `and 5 4spacing in character,='Fig.` 15, followed by a rest, or st0p',signal.` -The operation of diseM -tributor Il causes the marking' and spacing code units I-, 2, 3, landl of the intelligence signal to be transmitted-to theftap'eperforator 5 over the ccndnctors, 8, Sand I0 respectively. Follow- .fing thiaan'impulse is'trans-mitted in'l:r1ownV manner by the Ydistributorovery conductor II to operate a punch..-magnet=in theperforator and -cause itto perforate the tapey I'2 issuing-therefrom in accordancewiththe signals receivedand Vstep. thetape:ahead` Iinto 'position'A for --the nextf succeeding. .perforating s v .operation corresponding to the second ydigito'f the'."ightf'detitlon number. 'Since the permutatonIsi'g-nal for" the digit 3..has' the code unit. Iv only marking incharacter, conductor 6 is .energizeda'nd' conductors 1,

gaandilfare deen'ergized,.thereby-causing a singleperoration corresponding to' the codel'unit -i to bemade in the-tape? vI2 at thistime.

" Conductors 6,. l, 8, 9 'and IIJ areconnectedby way of conductors 1.23, 3, .4 .and 5- ofa. cable iI`3" to the windings'ofthee'nd-of -message reading relays Energization" ofL conductor .v8 causesrelayEMJ-i to. operate. by Wayof conductor. I, of.cable"l3.

Relayi IEM-I locksthroughits make" contact Land armature Ill, "to battery on" conductor? I 5, supplied by the break contactsof the sixthpulsefrelayI cf' the 'distributor 4.'..The operation.'of'relay ENI-4l is'without"effectr at this tlmefrelayEM-I releasing upon thev subsequent, operation" off the vsixth .pulse relayY of the distributor. .In a. simi-lar manner, the signals corresponding tc'ith'e'l .digits 5, 5', 3, 0, g, 4, 6, 0,. &,.1,. 2, 1,--a'nd 4,ar.e received` and' stored in the perforated tap'eIZ" and also f cause' the. 'operation of 'the'f end-of`ine`ssage relays EM-i toEM--A in codecombination'corresponding to each of the digitsis'tored inthe tape. Immediately following thesiglal foi2 thllgt 4 is the"end-ofmflessage signal"'which`,"inthe assumed example7 is 'the signal. repres'entingthe character L,`havingfc'0de vunits l, .Z'and 4 spacing relays EM'-" .and Elvie-4 to 'operateand lock to battery" Aon 'conductor l 5;' and' relays''EMi-Iand vEM---3 to remain'unopera'ted. Bat't'rery' attarmature" l' and' makecontactj of' 'relay'EM--kl isextended to arrnature' I3^andf break Contactv of` relay ElVl-, armature I 9 and "make :contact of relay "EMP-2*; armature; 'fwand break "ContactJ of relay Elvie-I and* thence"byway"of-` conductor isf stepped, or advanced;one-position asf-its coil v is f'again deenergized. Assumingv fno-ff unp'ostecl @messages-ron line L preceded;vvtheitransmission Yjustf-described;indicatorL unit 'l will-nowf-be one position in advance of thesettingWonthe similar rstorag'e. unit-MP-I :Like vif/terminals of unitsare/inwagreementasl-t setting, a' circ-uit is establishedfromg'roundf 22 over-rotary' wiper 23 of unit MR-f-i, thence by'wwayl of-contactfZfI of -winding of 'relay Si "fand vthence" tofbatterynf: It

will thus be apparent that, witli'unoicompleted message awaiting posting, relay ffSSi isiintiits 0pe'rated` condition dueto' agreement ofifthe:` assol stepas f-the 'end-fof-messagecharacterf fwas rre- Y l corded on the relays:-

Relay SI' isi-therefore .nowv in :its hnoperated 'Condit-ion.

*e As` relay SI releasedfground byffwayf otits break :contacts-28. Iwas applied toty the': armature and associated-.makefsprings-29fand 30 off-relays S2 and S3 respectivelyfzandithenceiover iconlductors Z-and 3., cable 3I/,etonbankl'contacts 32 and. 33A of rotarysswitch SKR. ffRotarysw/itch-SKR is stepped through a circuit from ground on bank contact 33 of bank A, wiper arm 34, selfinterrupting springs 35, and coil of switch SKR to battery. Bank position 36, however, is not grounded at this time, and the self-stepping circuit of switch SKR is interrupted at this point. With switch SKR positioned so that its associated wipers are resting on the contacts 30, a circuit is established over bank B to operate a transmitter connect relay TC. The path may be traced from ground on wiper 31 of bank B, through bank contact 30, thence by way of conductorY I, cable 38, through armature and break contacts 39 of unoperated relay SI, over conductor I of cable 40, winding of relay TC, to battery 4i.

Operation of distributor DR-l Relay TC, when operated, establishes a circuit to operate the clutch magnet'SM--I of distributor DR-I, Fig. 5. The path may be traced from battery on make contacts 42 of relay TC, Fig. 1, over conductor 500, Fig. 5, through break contacts 50I of unoperated relay NP, over iconductor 502, through break contacts 503 of unoperated relay ST, over conductor I of cable 504, to the winding of the start magnet SM-I, to ground. Energization of the coil of SM--I attracts latch 505, thereby setting the distributor DR-I into operation. Relay TC operated, also closes circuits from tongues I to 5 of tape transmitter TTR- I of Fig. 1 to relays TR--I to TR-5 respectively, Fig. 5. The circuit from tongue I of TTR-I may be traced from battery 43 through closed tongue I of tape transmitter TTR-I, through make contact 44 of relay TC, over conductor I of cable 45, to the Winding of relay 'TR-I, to ground. Tongue I of tape transmitter TTR-I will be the only tongue in the closed position at this time since the first digit of the flight identiiication number is 3. Therefore, relay TR-I will be operated, and relays TR-2, 'TR- 3, TR-4 and TR-5 will remain unoperated. The engagement of brush BI of the distributor DR-I with segment 2 of ring RI closes a circuit from battery 506, through make contacts 501 of relay TR-I, over conductor 500, through break contacts 509 of unoperated relay NP, segment I of ring R2 of distributor DTR-I, brush BI, segment 2 of ring RI, over conductor I of cable 5I0, through break Icontacts 5II of relay DC, over conductor I of cable 5I2, to the Winding of relay II--I, Fig. 9, to ground. Relay II--I operates and locks over its make contacts 900, conductor 4 of cable 00|, to battery 600 on break contacts M of relay EM, Fig. 6.

In a like manner, segment 2 of rings R3, R5, R1 and R0 and associated brushes B2, B3, B4 and B5 of distributor DR-I, Fig. 5, close circuits from make contacts on relays 'TR-2, 'TR-3, TRP- 4 and TR-5 to relays ITL-2, II-3, II-4, and iI-5, respectively, Fig. 9. However, none of these relays is operated, since the first character perforation in the tape prevents all tongues of the tape transmitter TTR- I except tongue I from engagement with their associated contacts.

When brush B1 contacts segment 2 of ring Ri4 on distributor DR-I, a circuit is established from ground on solid ring RIS, through brush B1 and segment 2 of ring RI4, over conductor 2 of cable 504, through break contacts 5I3 of relay i-R, over conductor 5I4, through break contacts 595 of relay RPT, to the winding of relay RIJ-2, to battery. Operation of relay RL-2 has no effect at this time.

As the brushes of distributor DR-I are disengaged from segment 2 of rings RI, R3, R5, R1

and R0, the circuits from the contacts of the TR relays to the first digit identification storage and decoding relays II-I to II-5, are interrupted. When brush B6 engages segment 2 of ring RII of the distributor DR-I, ground from segment 2 Iof ring RI2 is applied by Way of brush B0, segment 2 of ring RII, conductor 6 of cable 5I, contacts 5I1 of relay NP, over conductor 5 I B, through contacts 46 of operated relay TC, to the tape step magnet TS lof tape transmitter TTR-I, to battery, thereby causing the tape stepping magnet to operate and step the tape to .the position where the second character in the message is over the tape feeler pins. This second digit of identiication 5, has the code unit 5 marking and units I, 2, 3 and 4 spacing and therefore, relay TR-5 will now be operated and relays TR--I, TR-2, 'fR-3 and TR`4 will be unoperated.

As the brushes of the distributor DR-I move into engagement With segments 4 of rings RI, R3, R5, R1 and R9, 'circuits are established from make contacts of relays TR-I to TR-5 to the windings of the second digit identication storage relays 2I-I to 2I-5, Fig. 9. The group of relays ZI-l to 2I-5 is identical with the rst digit relays II-l to II-5 and is therefore indicated in diagrammatic form by the rectangle 902. Relay 2I-5 will be the only relay of the second digit identification group to operate. The circuits completing the path for `operation of relay 21-5 may be traced as follows. Battery 43, through closed tongue 5 of tape transmitter TTR-I, through contacts 41 of operated relay TC, over conductor 5 of cable 45, -to vthe winding of relay TR-5, to ground. Relay TR-5 operated, closes a circuit from battery at its make contacts 5I9, through break contacts 520 of unoperated relay NP, over conductor 5 of cable Elli, through segment I of ring RIO of distributor DRf-I, brush B5, segment 4 of ring R9, over conductor I0 of cable 5I0, through break contacts 522 of unoperated relay DC, over conductor l0 of cable 5 I 2, to the Winding of relay 2I-5, to ground. Relay 21--5 locks over the same circuit as described 4above for the first digit identication group.

As brush B6 of the distributor DR-I engages segment 4 of ring RII, ground is again applied to the step magnet TS of tape transmitter TTR- i, thereby advancing the tape I2 to the position Where the next character perforations corresponding .to the range 5, or tima are over the feeler pins of the tape transmitter. The circuit may be traced from ground Aon break contacts I 00| vof relay OB, Fig. 10, break contacts |003 of relay IB, over conductor |002, through break contacts 523 of relay RPT, Fig. 5, over conductor 1 of cable 504, to segment 3 of ring RIZ on distributor DR-I, through brush BB and segment 4 of ring RII, over conductor 0 of cable 5I6, through break contacts 5I1 .of relay NP, over conductor 5I8, through make contacts 45 of relay TC, Fig. 1, .to the stepping magnet TS of tape transmitter TTR-I to battery.

Engagement of segment 4, ring RI4 of distributor DR-I of Fig. 5, by brush B1 closes a circuit from ground on solid ring RI3, through brush B1 and segment 4 of ring RI4, over conductor 3 of cable 504, through break contacts 524 of relay RPT, to the winding of relay MK, to battery. Operation of relay MK has no effect at this time and relay MK releases as brush B1 leaves segment 4 of ring RI4. In a like manner, relay RL-L Fig. 10, is operated as brush B1 engages segment 5 of ring RI4. Operation of relay RL-I also has no effect at this time and relay RL--I releases as brush Bl' leaves Segmente of ring RM. ,The ciry cuits for .operation of rjelaysRlln-.g-l maygbe-,trac ed--- ,solid 'l'.l'lg Ri, throughvbrush-,Bl andfseementiiof frinsfRM, overf.. conductor .4 of cable llllato hegwinding of-relay fromgroundon distributor DR? Rfl to battery..l f

Whenbrushes .-B l zito i351 ciI distributor ADltfl engage segments 'lof ringsfRlgRrR, Rl'andfRS,

CirCuitsare --closed from. make contacts on relays TR-eitoTR-e to the-windings of the range derelay 1N?, over conductor 5 vo'f cable M6; through segment` l. offringv Rlimbrush B5 and ,segment .7 of.ringRS;;overconductor 5 of cable lr'tolthe Ilililancl` conductor. 1l 995Mo .break of 4relaylltLtJ-Ltobattery.; 1..

Asfbrush ABs i-contacts segment-.c or ring R a. l: on distributor DRif l a circuit. is 1againfc1osed, in manner. similargto that hereinbeforedescribedgto advanceithegtape to the Yposition Where thefourth,

or -X'zcharacter- (New'Yorkk-iis 'ever the tape transmitter feelery pins-9` .',Whenfbrush ,-BI; .con-p tactssegmentlzf of ring.Rl4,'1a circuitis estab-- operatedi condition; f 1 Asjgbrush Blucontacts seg,- A ment-'l ofring Rit, a 'circuit-,isestablishedfromgrounded solid ring Ri, through brush Blf-fandsegment: l. ofi ringcR le; over ,conductor B of v cable 5 ilfwto' the number one -Windirrgaoffre1ayDC,-to battery. Relayx-,DG--joperates and locks f over its numberitwo :winding and own make contacts v 52 l,-

over-xconductori, of cable-9l, to break contacts Elxlz oifzrelay- EM-,j-Figrf, tof-battery: y RelayDC operated;transferer-thecircuits Afromnsegments 2 .tor DRI-+I to thewindin'gs onthe'data tens andA data; unit-s1 groups *of :ranslating'rrelays DT--l l to DTe-5 andDU-.l to Dile-5 Figsl andlO, so tl'iatI the'. data.` characters Willi-be stored ,-.on the; relayl groups-on succeedingrevolutionsf of the .distribu-A tor ,brush arm.t..i. v

`As brushes Bl .to,135er..distributorVDR-l contact segment .9 of ringssR l; R3; 'R53 fR'ifand R8; thex'character 3 is'storedon the -F-l relay of the nx decoding group, Fig. 10, .o ver-acircuit similar Ato that described iorthe rangefcharactern f Re- .20 Windingv of relay RL5, tolground Relay Rff is y operatedxand locks".A over.4 its; own make.: contacts contacts liit ill) mlgfto the's'ame; lockingcircuit: asfdescribedsfor the rangev storage.: and decoding 'fgrouprjg Y Asbrush.Bdcontactsisegment-8fof'iring RH on distributor DR`f-.'l., the .tapse; stepping; magnet -gof tapeftransmitteri-TITRf! is again energizedover relayzgroupsandgthefdistributorlDR+i Ais about to make a second revolution during which the data :forv the. previouslystored range, a new. l range, andga neWi-x (lor a spacing character de-l noting thel absence rof a new. fix) are stored and f decoded. Y

Second revolution of distributor DR-LZ As. mentioned heretofore, the operationofrelayDC, Fig. 5, hastransferred paths from the` distributor segments used for. the identification characters on the first revolution tothe data st0rage-relay groups..` r 'Ihereiore, as brushes lBl' to Bof distributor DR-l again contact segv ment 2 of ringsRl, R3, R5, Rl and R9, circuits in cable 53S arel closed to operate relays in the DT, or data tens decoding relay group, Fig. 9. In the assumed example, the tens data character for-the rst range is the digit 0 having the code elements ,2, 3 ande marking and the-code ele-v Relays- DTT-2, DTQS. and DT--b of the data tens group` Willbe operated and relays DT-l and DT-d.,

ments l and d spacing in character.

Willremain-unoperated The circuit for operation-of relay DT-Z may be traced from battery on make. contacts 528 'of operated Arelay TR,-2,

Fig, 5, through break contacts 529 of relay NP,

over conductor 2 of cable 5W, to segmenti of ring R44 on distributor DR-l, through brush B2 and segment 2 ofring R3, over conductor -2 of cable 5m, through make contacts 530 of operated relay DC, over conductor `2 of cable 53|,4 to the winding-of relay DT-2, to ground. The DT relays vare locked 'over the. same path as described for v.the .frange decoding. group of relays. In a similar manner, the units data character 9 is l. stored on the IDU- il and DTI-5 data units decodingl relays.l The DU'-I to DU-frelays are similar to the DT--l to DT- relay group and aretherefore. shown in diagrammaticform rectangle lll,.Flg. 10.

Returning tothe point Where range storage relay R-, was operated, itwill be noted that the operationof this. relayhas rclosed a circuit to operate range connect relay T, Figrlo. The circuit may be traced from ground on break ycontacts |4809 of relay yRf-t, through Ybreak contacts lloffrelay R -l, breakI contacts mi I.V of relay R-3,fbreak contacts. mi2y of relay R-L make contacts ldlof. operated relay R-t, over conductor of cablel H4, to the winding of relay T, to'battery. -Relay T operated, prepares a path for. th'e operation of the T secondary datastoragerelaysTIS-l to TTS- and TUS-fl to TUS- 4, Fig. 11, from the output circuits of the data decoding relay groups DT-l to DT-5 and DU-l to DIT- 5.

At the time nx decoding relay lik-H, Fig. 10, was' operated, a circuit was established from ground through make contacts l il l 5 of relay F-l, through break contacts Edit of relay F-4, break contacts Hill of relay F-Z, break contacts lll of relay F-3, vbreak contacts will of relay F-tl, to the number one Winding of relay FX-B, to battery. Relay FX-S operates and locks over its number `two winding and make contacts |829, over conductor 3 of cable will, to break contacts lZEll of relayRL-3, Fig, l2, to ground. Relay FX-S operated, establishes a circuit from ground on break contacts IZEH of relay AWO, Fig. 12, overconductor l of cable I2ll2, lthrough make contacts i622 of operatedrelay FX-3, over conductor 3 of cabley H323, to bank contact Hill), bank A, of rotary switch' RS-l, Fig. 11. The ground Lfrom. break contacts will ofi-relay AWO, over.. C0.nductor. I of cable 1232, is also connected by means of make contacts i624 of operated relay 

